May 8 2007

Collective Architecture has won Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership’s urban design competitions for Stranraer and Dumfries.

The practice, previously known as Chris Stewart Architects, won both competitions with radical proposals to rethink the roads, housing layouts, shared spaces and landscape.

The plans involve the creation of about 400 new homes, new offices for DGHP and community/youth facilities. “The Dicks Hill area in Stranraer sits on a steep hill close to the town centre but isolated from the rest of Stranraer.

The current housing arrangement takes little advantage of the views and proximity to the hills and town, houses sit uncomfortably on the hillside creating steep stepped areas and few usable shared spaces,” said Jude Barber of Collective Architecture. Collective Architecture proposed three new elements to connect Dick's Hill to the town centre, existing facilities and the countryside; The Nature Trail, The Avenue and The Pedestrian Spine.

Existing streets will be remodelled and connected via the stepped, green pedestrian link back to the town centre. They proposed a range of housing types - based around principles of sustainable elements such water, wind, sun - with each area orientated around a locally shared space.

In Dumfries the practice proposed a legible pattern of 'green' routes through three identified renewal sites. The houses were arranged to provide active public spaces overlooked by surrounding dwellings.

The client - with help from an independent design assessor - selected 5 practices and paid them each an honoraria of £5000 to prepare ideas that were subject to community consultation before judging.

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